Birdwatchers in County Wexford are enjoying a rare sighting of an Isabelline Shrike, a scarce visitor from the east that has been frequenting Ring Marsh in recent days.

The bird, which breeds across central Asia and winters in Africa and the Middle East, has been recorded in Ireland only seven times in the past two decades. Its most recent confirmed sighting was reported today, according to the specialist website Irishbirding.com.

Often called a “butcher bird” for its habit of impaling prey on thorns, the Isabelline Shrike is a distinctive species with sandy plumage and a black eye mask. It usually favours open scrubland, making the coastal wetlands of south Wexford an unusual stopover.

The last confirmed Irish record was at Dursey Island in Co Cork in 2021. Previous sightings have occurred at Murlough in Co Down and Toe Head in Co Cork in 2016, Rostoontown and Lady’s Island Lake in Co Wexford in 2013, Achill Island in Co Mayo in 2009, Mizen Head in Co Cork in 2007 and the Old Head of Kinsale in 2006.